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Scientists have found a link between brain structure and political views. People with right wing views have larger areas in the brain concerned with fear and anxiety, it seems, while liberals tend to be more relaxed. These findings from University College London could explain why liberals and conservatives seldom see eye to eye and often have irreconcilable views on politics and other subjects.

Commissioned by Colin Firth

The study was commissioned by actor Colin Firth when he guest edited BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. It started as a light-hearted experiment comparing the brain structure of Alan Duncan, Conservative Minister of State for International Development, with that of Stephen Pound, Labour MP, using an MRI scanner.

Firth quipped, ‘I took this on as a fairly frivolous exercise: I just decided to find out what was biologically wrong with people who don’t agree with me and see what scientists had to say about it and they actually came up with something.’

But scientists took it seriously, and besides interpreting Alan Duncan and Stephen Pound’s MRI scans, they also questioned 90 students who had been scanned for other studies about their political views.

Tories don’t look on the bright side of life

It was found that people with conservative views have larger amygdalas, areas in the centre of the brain that are related to processing fear. They also have a smaller anterior cingulate, an area of the brain associated with courage and optimism.

The study’s lead author, Dr Ryota Kanai, said: ‘Previously, some psychological traits were known to be predictive of an individual’s political orientation. Our study now links such personality traits with specific brain structure.’

Backing up psychological studies

These results back up many psychological studies showing that liberals tend to be more open to new experiences, while conservatives are more sensitive to anxiety and the threat of uncertainty. Dr Kanai said this research may eventually explain why some people are more traditional in outlook, while others are more modern.

Tags: relaxation, stress, stress relief